


Shatter the Night

by goingtothetardis



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Nightmares, Prompt Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-14
Updated: 2018-11-14
Packaged: 2019-08-23 09:13:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,064
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16616138
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/goingtothetardis/pseuds/goingtothetardis
Summary: When Rose's nightmares pull the Doctor from sleep again, he can't stand back and let her fight her demons alone.





	Shatter the Night

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, dear readers! I've taken a bit of much needed time off from writing, and it's been really refreshing. I return, now, with this angsty little nightmare hurt/comfort fic, prompted by an anonymous friend on Tumblr. I hope you enjoy it!!
> 
> Thanks very much to SelenaTerna for giving it a read through. :)

A sharp cry pierces the night, and the Doctor jolts wide awake from a restless sleep. It’s the fourth time this week Rose’s nightmares have woken him, but so far, he’s resisted the urge to run to her room and comfort her. Things haven’t quite returned to normal between them since returning from Norway, and he doesn’t want to presume his comfort is needed.

The Doctor pulls himself to the edge of the squeaky sofa bed and puts his head in his hands, pulling at his hair in agitation when muffled sobs travel down the hallway from Rose’s room. His solitary heart pounds anxiously in his chest as he stands up, no longer able to ignore her cries, and strides quickly down the hall.

Opening her door, he whispers her name. “Rose. Rose, are you awake?”

His query is met with silence, but as he steps cautiously into the room, Rose lets out a scream that makes his heart skip a beat in his terror. The Doctor rushes to her side as she thrashes back and forth.

“Rose! Wake up, Rose! You need to wake up. You’re having a nightmare,” he murmurs quietly at her side, but her continued agitation shows his words haven’t been heard. 

The Doctor studies Rose with the dim light from the hallway. He could try to telepathically intervene, but given the turbulent air between them since their return, it’s probably not the best idea. He settles with climbing on her bed and laying down beside her. Grabbing her hand, he links their fingers and rubs his thumb over hers in a circular motion. 

Brushing several strands of hair off her face, the Doctor continues murmuring words of comfort. “I’m right here, Rose, and I’m not going anywhere. I’m here, Rose. Please wake up.”

After several long minutes, Rose’s breath returns to normal and she stills under his hand. Her eyes slowly flutter open and meet his. When she jumps at his unexpected presence, the Doctor pulls his hands back and scoots away. 

“I’m so sorry. You were having a nightmare, and I couldn’t– I had to come– Please–”

“Doctor. Doctor!” Rose interrupts, pushing herself up onto an elbow. 

The Doctor’s mouth snaps shut, halting his nervous babble, and he focuses his gaze on Rose. 

“It’s fine, Doctor. Thanks for waking me.” She takes in a deep, shuddering breath. “Please stay,” she adds, her voice slightly strained, when he moves to extract himself from the opposite side of the bed. 

Rose reaches out a hand, and he crawls back to her side. He means to lay down beside her, but in a swift movement, she grabs him around his chest and pulls him down on top of her. 

The Doctor holds his breath as she holds him awkwardly against her. 

“I’m sorry, I just… This okay?” Rose asks.

The Doctor nods but pulls his legs into a more comfortable position. “Rose?”

“Hmm?”

“What happens in your nightmares?”

Rose freezes beneath him for a moment. Gripping the back of his sleep shirt, she whispers hoarsely, “I don’t want you to know.”

The Doctor considers the horrors he’d encountered since losing Rose, most notably the year that never was with the Master, and understands exactly how she feels. 

“I’ve heard you all week, almost every night,” he admits, his voice quiet and measured. 

“I’m scared about what you’ll think of me if I tell you what I’ve become,” Rose says.

Once again, the Doctor is well acquainted with this feeling. “Nothing you’ve done, nothing you tell me, would change the way I feel about you.” He swallows heavily. “The happiness I feel being here with you.” 

At his revelation, Rose gasps, and he hears her heartbeat increase. Whether it’s in response to his words or out of fear, he doesn't know. Perhaps it’s both. 

“The dimension cannon… It took a long time to find you, Doctor. It… A lot of the places I landed, well… I’m not proud of some of the things I had to do to save myself, even if it was the only way out.” 

Rose sniffles loudly, and the Doctor pulls his head up from her chest to look at her. Tears stream from the corners of her eyes and onto her pillow. Pushing himself up, he leans forward to gently press his lips to the corner of each eye in an attempt to stop her tears. Out of habit, perhaps, his tongue runs across his lips to taste the salty moisture of the tears. 

“Rose, listen to me. Nothing – and I mean that,  _ nothing  _ – you do or did is worth a moment of shame. You, Rose Tyler, forced yourself across the Void time and time again to find me –  _ to save the multiverse _ . Quite frankly, I’m amazed you survived.” He frowns, thinking of all the possible catastrophic consequences of Rose’s travels, but her hand stroking his cheek brings him back to the present. “Maybe someday, when we’re ready, we can share about our years apart. You aren’t the only one with terrible stories to tell.”

Rose’s forehead crinkles in concern, and the gesture is so achingly familiar, that the Doctor can’t help himself when he presses his lips against hers. It’s a chaste kiss, but it’s one she returns after a terrifying moment of uncertainty, and he pulls away before it develops into anything more. 

Time passes as they lay there together, him sprawled out on top of her, a heavy blanket of comfort. At least he hopes so.

Despite the light from the hallway, the Doctor’s eyes grow heavy. He yearns to fall asleep beside Rose, but he’s hesitant to ask, even now. 

“Will you stay, Doctor?” Rose asks the question before he works up the nerve. 

“I thought you’d never ask,” he replies. 

The Doctor smiles cheekily at Rose before shifting off to the side and hopping off the bed. His heart warms at her cry of protest as he quickly flicks the light off and shuts the door, and as soon as he returns to the bed, she snuggles into his chest. 

Wrapping his arms around her, the Doctor hopes his presence will be able to ward off some of the demons Rose faces in her sleep. They’re both broken, battered, and rough around the edges right now, but with time, there’s hope for healing and becoming whole again. 

And he quite likes hope.  

**Author's Note:**

> Find me at goingtothetardis.tumblr.com!!


End file.
